


Cuddles

by TheFairysPath (friendlyneighborhoodfairy)



Series: The Path I Took (WWTDP 2018) [4]
Category: Fairy Tail
Genre: Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Blood and Injury, Cuddling & Snuggling, F/F, Fluff and Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Minerva freaks out over Yukino, Protectiveness, Self-Sacrifice
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-05
Updated: 2018-10-05
Packaged: 2019-07-25 15:34:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,037
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16200449
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/friendlyneighborhoodfairy/pseuds/TheFairysPath
Summary: When Minerva and Yukino are injured on a mission, Sting and Rogue can't get them to let go of each other to receive treatment.(Fic #4 forWhen We Take Different PathsWLW week.)





	Cuddles

**Author's Note:**

> Prompt = cuddles + Yukinerva.
> 
> I was so blocked until I turned to one of my two favorite things: angst. Prepare to have it slathered on.

There was so much blood.

In the half-light of dusk, it looked black. It all blended together, hers and Yukino's, so much of it.

Against her chest, Yukino started panting.

"Hold on, love," Minerva whispered, feeling her reserves of strength depleting as she spoke. She swore she could feel the life flowing out of her with every beat of her heart.

"Why," Yukino said in a weak voice.

"We got unlucky," Minerva said, making the words true with her determination. If she kept talking, things would be okay. "They got in a good hit…"

"I'm sorry."

"That's not what I meant." A shiver wracked her—already growing cold. Fuck. She had to hold on: had to protect Yukino. "I was arrogant and lazy, and they got me."

"Not…your fault," Yukino panted. "I protected you, and they got  _me,_  and that's when…"

"Stop. I should be thanking you." Yukino stirred as if to protest, but Minerva hugged her closer. "Don't. Save your strength."

"M-Minerva." Yukino was starting to sound sleepy.

"What, love?"

"You're…gonna run out of magic power."

Minerva stared at the dark, swirling blue and rainbow lights around them. They looked the same, but she could feel them weakening, every assault outside breaking her body a little bit more.

"I can hold on."

"Let me help."

Looking down at Yukino, who lay against her with her head on Minerva's chest, Minerva smiled sadly. "Not much you can do."

"With my keys. I can…give you strength…"

"You're bleeding. Just rest. If they break through— I'll need you."

There was a silence.

"What's going to happen?"

"Someone will come for us," Minerva said, gritting her teeth as magic assaulted her barrier. Just had to hold on a few more hours. "We've been gone too long. They'll come."

"But how will they find us?"

Minerva swallowed.

"They just will."

* * *

It was the scent of blood that drew them. Sting was getting concerned at how long Minerva and Yukino had been gone on reconnaissance. This was supposed to be a group mission, and yeah, Minerva was independent, but even she wouldn't tackle this on her own. Yukino was with her and Yukino had self-control. No, something was wrong.

When they smelled the blood, he and Rogue broke into a run, knowing it could either be friends' or foes'; either way, it would give them a hint where the pair had gone.

The blood had leaked into the street by the time they got there. They saw the ball of Minerva's magic instantly, a glowing wall, but there were cracks in it, and blood trickled through some of the cracks in the bottom, a few dribbles on the cobbles.

That was plenty enough to smell.

Sting slammed into the first person he saw and Rogue caused some sort of crash behind them. The magical assault on the glowing orb stopped as he and his boyfriend took the brunt of force, but it was easy: he and Rogue were fresh and unhurt, and anger was fueling Sting now. How dare they hurt his guild. How dare they make his friends  _bleed._

Rogue let out a high growl as he threw someone against a wall. He was just as angry.

When they'd dispatched their opponents, Sting ran over and pressed his fingers to the cracks in the barrier, calling, "Minerva, it's me. Let us in. The people are gone. Let us help you."

He'd hardly finished speaking when the magic dissipated, falling to the ground as if it just couldn't stand any longer.

There was Minerva, curled around Yukino in her lap, the dark-haired woman barely conscious and peering at them through bloodshot eyes. Yukino was bleeding from her head. Both were cut up and bruised. Sting gasped.

Rogue rushed forward, not letting shock wrap its arms around him, and tried to get a better look at Yukino's head.

"Mmm," Minerva groaned in protest, and Sting saw her fingers tighten around her girlfriend's arms.

"Please, Minerva," Rogue said. "You have to let me see."

"Protect," Minerva murmured.

"Yes, you protected her. You did a great job. Now let us help."

"Get help. Go…"

"We're going to take you to a hospital," Sting broke in. He knelt next to Rogue and tried to pry Minerva's arms away. "Neither of us can carry both of you. You need to let go."

"No," Minerva protested, and goddamn her grip was tight for someone about to pass out. She started crying. "Don't take her away."

"Actually," Rogue said, "I can carry them."

"You can?" Sting asked, then cottoned on. "Ah. Shadows."

"It'll be hard," Rogue said, surveying the two women, "but I can do it. I can bring you too if you hold onto me."

Sting nodded nervously. He wasn't fully comfortable inside Rogue's element; it felt claustrophobic. Too dark, not enough light.

"Okay," he said.

Rogue got his arms awkwardly around Yukino and Minerva, the latter still clutching her bundle. When Sting looped his arms around Rogue's waist, there was a second where he felt Rogue tense, and then a sensation of falling, and then everything was black.

Rogue moved them quickly, though Sting could feel the effort he expended carrying so many of them. Rogue's sides were heaving by the time they popped out in a hallway of the hospital. Sting sprang to his feet.

"Help!" he called, as confused medics ran over. "The women. They're both injured. They need help."

As people lifted the two onto beds, Rogue slowly got to his feet and wrapped an arm around Sting's waist, leaning on him. They could see now that Minerva had at last passed out, her grip on Yukino finally breakable by human hands. Side-by-side they were wheeled away.

* * *

Consciousness came back slowly.

Minerva was still gripping Yukino. She could feel the soft hand in hers, delicate and strong.

"Yukino," she whispered, feeling relief flood her body as she realized she was comfortable and not in pain. Someone had come for them in time. She vaguely remembered that. Mostly she just remembered holding Yukino's numb body in her arms and crying.

When she opened her eyes and looked around, there were many sights to take in. She hadn't been in hospitals much, and the room was more cheerful than she expected: clean and bright with a large window.

In the bed beside her, closer than she expected they'd let patients be, lay Yukino.

Whose eyes were still closed.

Minerva's heart fell even while she tried to remain upbeat. It didn't mean anything. Yukino had been hit on the head; she needed rest—

Someone came in, their steps hurried like they were concerned, and Minerva was distantly aware of someone asking her lie back, was she okay, her heart was racing, she needed to calm down and breathe…

"Is she," Minerva asked, and she started to cry, "okay?"

"Yes," the orderly said gently. "She has a concussion and needed a dozen stitches. There's a hairline fracture in her skull that needs time to heal."

That didn't sound 'fine' to Minerva.

"Why is she here?" she asked, sniffing as she let the man usher her back down into a prone position. Her head felt dizzy.

"Don't you want her here?"

"Why isn't she in some sort of special care? If her head is broken, she needs monitoring and attention. She needs…"

"They couldn't get you two to let go."

She finally looked up at him. "What?"

"After they'd finished stitching her up, you were yelling for her, so they let you see her, and you grabbed her hand and threatened anyone who tried to break you apart. So we had to find a space where you could be together."

"Oh." Minerva flushed. She definitely didn't remember that. "You were there?"

"Everyone heard about it. You were quite loud."

Great.

"So she's okay to be here?" she asked, trying to sound austere, but it was hard to when there was still a wet trail down her cheek and she wanted nothing more than to snuggle her girlfriend and sleep.

"Yes." He pulled up the blanket she'd kicked off. "Do you need anything?"

"No. Thank you."

"Please rest." He left the room.

Minerva slept off and on the rest of the morning, her magic renewing and with it her strength. By afternoon she was awake enough to keep her eyes open for more than fifteen minutes.

Restless, she looked between her cot and Yukino's. Yukino hadn't twitched, but her chest rose and fell regularly and the meters and gauges alongside her bed looked healthy. Testing the tubes in her arm, Minerva made sure she had wiggle room and shifted herself over the gap and into Yukino's cot.

With that warm body against her, she eased herself down and relaxed at last.

She cradled Yukino to her breast, careful not to move her head. There was a long line of ugly stitches and part of Yukino's hair was shaved away. Looking at it made Minerva ache; it made her feel squeamish, which blood never did; and at the same time she couldn't help smiling at how beautiful Yukino was even like this.

She was so strong, the muscles in her bare arms corded and efficient. There was a scar along Yukino's neck, old and faded, which few people knew about but Minerva, and she could see it now, running her fingers along the outline of sensitive skin.

"Hello, my love," she murmured, putting her head on the pillow and gazing at her girlfriend's still face. "I'm glad you're still with me."

As she rubbed Yukino's hand, Minerva drifted off in thought, staring out the window at the wide sky. She wondered if Sting and Rogue had finished the mission or not. If they had, they would've needed help. The bastards were even stronger than the four of them had prepared for.

Minerva had been taken by surprise. She regretted that so much—couldn't help bearing the blame on her soul. When she wasn't able to block a retaliatory explosion, Yukino had stepped in front of the hit for her, and this was the result. A fractured skull and bruised brain.

"All because you protected me, darling," she whispered. "You shouldn't have."

* * *

She didn't know how much time passed before Yukino's eyes fluttered.

"Oh." Minerva jolted and a slow smile moved across her face like syrup. "Love."

Yukino made an indistinct grunt.

"You're okay," Minerva whispered, tightening her embrace. "I've got you."

"Mm," Yukino hummed, but there was more conscious meaning to the sound this time.

A blue eye opened tentatively.

"My head…" Yukino made a face and whimpered. "It hurts."

"You fractured your skull. You'll be okay, but you have to rest."

"And you?"

"I'm fine," Minerva said, smiling and gently brushing through her hair. "Just magic exhaustion."

"Your stomach…"

"They sewed me up. Same as your head. Our gaping holes are not gaping anymore."

Despite her light tone, she watched Yukino's expressions intently. Wanted to gauge if she really were okay, if Minerva needed to yell for someone.

"Glad you're okay," Yukino said wearily, burrowing closer—without, Minerva noticed, moving her head.

Yukino's words processed.

"I'm glad  _you're_  okay. You…took an explosion to the head."

"I'll always protect you," Yukino murmured. "Always."

Minerva squeezed her eyes shut and swallowed against the wave of emotion that rushed through her throat.

"I don't deserve it."

Yukino's eyes flashed open.

"Yes, you do. You so do. I love you. I will always do what I can for you, because that's what love is. You don't have to earn it. I just choose to."

Minerva wiped her eyes, but tears kept coming. She sniffed.

"But  _why?_ " she whispered.

"Because I like who you are," Yukino whispered back. "Come here, love."

Minerva folded against her, face against Yukino's shoulder, trying to keep her chest from shaking. Yukino petted her arm. Even that touch felt so undeserved.

"What do you…how can I help you right now?" Minerva asked when her breath had calmed down. "Tell me what I can do for you."

"Stay with me," Yukino said. "Right here. Stay close."

Minerva wrapped both arms around her and pressed their bodies together, fused at the hip, breaths mingling.

"Always," she said.

**Author's Note:**

> ^w^


End file.
